Even as Gov. Sarah Palin exits stage left -- perhaps only temporarily -- back to the frozen tundra, we note that it was Fox News who broke the story that Sarah P. was a bit geography-challenged.

Here is Fox's own Carl Cameron telling us something about Palin that nobody wanted to know. The best part is when Carl promises that there will be an avalanche of more juicy Palinbits to drop from the GOP table in the days to come.

Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Republican voters say Alaska Governor Sarah Palin helped John McCains bid for the presidency, even as news reports surface that some McCain staffers think she was a liability.

Only 20% of GOP voters say Palin hurt the partys ticket, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Six percent (6%) say she had no impact, and five percent (5%) are undecided.

Ninety-one percent (91%) of Republicans have a favorable view of Palin, including 65% who say their view is Very Favorable. Only eight percent (8%) have an unfavorable view of her, including three percent (3%) Very Unfavorable.

When asked to choose among some of the GOPs top names for their choice for the partys 2012 presidential nominee, 64% say Palin. The next closest contenders are two former governors and unsuccessful challengers for the presidential nomination this year — Mike Huckabee of Arkansas with 12% support and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts with 11%.

These findings echo a survey earlier this week which found that Republicans were happier with their vice presidential candidate than with their presidential nominee. Seventy-one percent (71%) said McCain made the right choice by picking Palin as his running mate, while only 65% said the party picked the right nominee for president.

The key for the 44-year-old Palin will be whether she can broaden her base of support. An Election Day survey found that 81% of Democrats and, more importantly, 57% of unaffiliated voters had an unfavorable view of her.

Palin, Alaskas first woman governor, was elected to a four-year term in 2006. She was largely unknown nationally until McCain chose her to be the partys vice presidential candidate. She quickly became a darling of the GOPs conservative base and energized the partys rank-and-file.

Speculation about her future has run high for weeks when it appeared Barack Obama was likely to beat McCain. Already this week there is talk of her possibly taking the seat of embattled Republican Senator Ted Stevens if he manages to hang on and win won reelection despite recent federal felony convictions. Stevens would have to step down if his appeal of the convictions is unsuccessful.

Palin could also run for another term as Governor in the state where she still enjoys very high approval ratings.

Among Republicans, 66% of men and 61% of women say Palin is their choice for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. Sixty-six percent (66%) of GOP women have a Very Favorable view of her, as do 64% of men.

While Palins high favorables suggest she has a bright political future in the Republican Party, it is important to note that favorites four years out from a presidential election quite often do not get the nomination. Obama, for example, was just an Illinois state senator four years ago, and Hillary Clinton appeared a shoo-in for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008.

Republicans are closely divided over the two most important issues in the next presidential election: 31% say economic issues, 30% say national security. Fifteen percent (15%) list fiscal issues, followed by cultural issues (12%) and domestic issues (6%). Five percent (5%) are undecided. Palin is overwhelmingly the top choice for 2012 among voters in all these categories.

Over two-thirds of Republicans describe themselves as conservative in terms of foreign policy, fiscal and social issues.

Eighty percent (80%) of Republicans have a favorable view of Huckabee, including 46% Very Favorable. Sixteen percent (16%) regard him unfavorably.

Welcome to the MSM, Fox. If you weren’t already there. Don’t worry, you have a good excuse. It’s tough to fill 24 hours without resorting to hearsay.

Look forward to a perfectly harmonious media in the event that Palin rises again (”How do you respond to people who say you cost John McCain the election four years ago, Governor?”). Palin is now, and ever shall be, stupid and unqualified. Never mind that Obama made (unreported) flubs and was less experienced than Palin. He is the One and shall ever be the One. Never mind that Biden put Quayle’s flubs to shame on an almost weekly basis. Biden shall ever be a 146-point genius and Quayle dumber than a kindergartener.

Fairer and more balanced than the rest, but they are now dead to me. I will be spending the next four years studying and hopefully applying economic guerilla warfare. I'll be a one-woman bear market on anything that I even suspect to be sympathetic to the Rat party and to 0bamanomics.

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